Drexler denies he gave quotes about Magic in book

Clyde Drexler is denying that he made negative statements attributed to him about Magic Johnson in a book about the Dream Team.

In Jack McCallum's book, "Dream Team," Drexler said that Johnson only earned a spot on the Olympic team and the MVP award in the 1992 All-Star game out of pity resulting from his HIV diagnosis the previous year. Drexler is quoted as saying, "Everybody kept waiting for Magic to die. Every time he'd run up the court, everybody would feel sorry for the guy."

Drexler said in a phone interview on Wednesday that the quotes attributed to him are "totally ludicrous." In a statement released through the Houston Rockets, Drexler says he would've never said those things and that Johnson is one of his closest long-time friends.